For our last two days in Madrid, we bought passes on the Hop-on….Hop-off buses to tour the city and catch some of the sights that we missed.
Hop-on…Hop-off Bus
As in Sydney, we could probably be here for months and never experience it all, but this gave us another flavor of the Madrid.
ImpressiveHustle and Bustle of Madrid
More Beautiful ArchitectureMore streets of Madrid
Our tour highlighted the fact that despite the antique quality of much of the architecture, Madrid is an up to date, modern city with subways, live theater it’s got it all.
Our tour showed us newer areas of Madrid where old style architecture blended with the new.The rounded structure is an entrance to the subway which we used a lot while in Madrid.
Live performance of Cabaret.The Lion King
The National Prado MuseumIn the afternoon of the first “Art” day, we visited the Museo National Del Prado (National Prado Museum). This building, built in 1785 to house the National History Cabinet, at the order of King Charles III (here he is yet again). It was later dedicated as the new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures and opened as such in 1819. It houses works by Goya, Degas, Rembrandt, Ribera, and Regoyos to name a few.
On the second day we went to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
This mansion was bought by the very wealthy art lovers Baron Van Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his wife Carmen. Between them they amassed the largest private art collection in the world. In 1992 the couple opened The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum to the public. A year later the Spanish government bought the entire mansion and art collection for around $345 million – that’s a nice nest egg.
Baron Hans Heinrich And Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza
My pictures got a bit mixed, so I’m just going to let you see them and not worry about which picture came from which gallery, okay? Good then, here goes.
Camille Pissarro
Swaying Dancer by Edgar DegasTom and I found some of the titles on the paintings pretty funny like – Portrait of a Young Woman in Profile with a Mask in Her Right HandClaude MonetTom insisted that I put in this painting by Edouard Manet along with a painting by Claude Monet for those like him who couldn’t tell there Monet’s from their Manet”sArt Student at work.
At various locations around the Prado we saw art students learning by imitating the masters. Some of them were very good.
If you look closely at this painting by Francisco Goya you’ll see that he painted himself painting just behind the people on the left.A Statue of Francisco Goya stands at the entrance to the museum grounds.
There was a large showing of Goya’s works at the Thyssen Museum and a statue of him in front of the museum.
Both Tom and I have come to the conclusion that we just are not all that into Renaissance paintings.
Rubens or not, it just doesn’t sing to me.
We do however enjoy the impressionists, sculpture, furniture, pottery… so it was on that which we focused.
Gorgeous tables were also displayed.One hallway had marble busts displayed. I liked the combination of white and colored marble.Jean-Baptiste MonnoyerStatuary was scattered throughout, but paintings were the most well represented.Head of a Nude Draped by Pablo Picasso I’m not real big on Expressionism either and I think Picasso was pretty much off his rocker, but I like this one even if it has a weird title.
I am so impressed. Peter won’t travel to Europe. He said he hasn’t seen everything here yet. I would love to go to Sweden to see where my mom’s family originated. Dad came from Canada. We have been there many times. So I am depending on you to show me the sights..lol have fun.
Tom and I are incredibly lucky in that we both love adventure, love to travel, and both want to see the world. We’ve always been frugal and saved and finally have the mortgage paid off, so now is the time while we can enjoy it – and we are! I am delighted that you are coming along and happy to show you the sights.
![prado-b02[1]](https://charliexplores.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/prado-b021.jpg)
CharliExplores 
I am so impressed. Peter won’t travel to Europe. He said he hasn’t seen everything here yet. I would love to go to Sweden to see where my mom’s family originated. Dad came from Canada. We have been there many times. So I am depending on you to show me the sights..lol have fun.
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Tom and I are incredibly lucky in that we both love adventure, love to travel, and both want to see the world. We’ve always been frugal and saved and finally have the mortgage paid off, so now is the time while we can enjoy it – and we are! I am delighted that you are coming along and happy to show you the sights.
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Loved Spain! Can’t wait for Paris!!! Enjoy…
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You’re going to love Paris, too – so much history and soooo much to see!
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